Patents Examined by Mayla Gonzalez Ramos
  • Patent number: 11973245
    Abstract: To provide a battery module with high volumetric efficiency. A battery module comprising stacked and connected unit cells each comprising a power generation element, a cathode terminal, and an anode terminal disposed on the opposite side of the cathode terminal of the power generation element, wherein a connection laminate layer including a resin layer, a metal layer and a resin layer in this sequence, is disposed between the unit cells, and wherein the metal layer of the connection laminate layer is electrically connected to the cathode terminal of one adjacent unit cell and the anode terminal of the other unit cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kunimitsu Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11973152
    Abstract: The solar cell includes: a substrate; a tunneling dielectric layer located on the first surface of the substrate; multiple doped conductive layers, where the multiple doped conductive layers are located on a surface of the tunneling dielectric layer away from the substrate, and are disposed at intervals; multiple first electrodes, where the multiple first electrodes are disposed at intervals, extend along a first direction, are arranged on a side of the multiple doped conductive layers away from the substrate, and are electrically connected to the multiple doped conductive layers; at least one conductive transport layer, where the at least one conductive transport layer is located between every two adjacent doped conductive layers in the multiple doped conductive layers, and is in contact with a side surface of the multiple doped conductive layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignees: ZHEJIANG JINKO SOLAR CO., LTD., JINKO SOLAR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Bike Zhang, Guangming Liao, Lin'an Zhang, Jingsheng Jin, Xinyu Zhang
  • Patent number: 11973158
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion element having a photoelectric conversion layer formed between a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer, in which the photoelectric conversion layer contains Cu and Ag, which are Group I elements, In and Ga, which are Group III elements, and Se and S, which are Group VI elements. A portion at which a minimum value of a band gap appears in a thickness direction of the photoelectric conversion layer is included in the intermediate region. When a ratio of a mole amount of Ag to a sum of mole amounts of the Group I elements other than Ag, the Group III elements, and the Group VI elements is defined as an Ag concentration, a portion at which a maximum value of the Ag concentration appears in the thickness direction of the photoelectric conversion layer is included in the intermediate region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: IDEMITSU KOSAN CO.,LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tomita, Hiroki Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 11973073
    Abstract: A photovoltaic device includes a first group of photovoltaic cells of a first cell type, the first group of photovoltaic cells operable to produce a first current and a first voltage, and a second group of photovoltaic cells of a second cell type that is different than the first cell type, the second group of photovoltaic cells operable to produce a second current and a second voltage. A first power electronics unit is connected to the first group of photovoltaic cells, and a second power electronics unit is connected to the second group of photovoltaic cells. The second power electronics unit is separate from and not communicating with the first power electronics unit. A control device is operable to vary a first property of the first power electronics unit to vary the first current and the first voltage and to vary a second property of the second power electronics unit to vary the second voltage and the second current independent of the first voltage and the first current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Maximilian Fleischer, Armin Schnettler
  • Patent number: 11973212
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a positive electrode active material and a lithium secondary battery including the same, and more particularly, to a bimodal-type positive electrode active material including a first lithium composite oxide, which is a small particle, and a second lithium composite oxide, which is a large particle, these particles having different particle diameters, wherein the positive electrode active material makes it possible to prevent deterioration in electrochemical properties and stability thereof, which are generated due to non-uniform formation of a coating layer at least partially coating surfaces of the small and large particles, a positive electrode including the positive electrode active material, and a lithium secondary battery using the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: ECOPRO BM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jung Bae Park, Hyun Jong Yu, Moon Ho Choi
  • Patent number: 11967663
    Abstract: A multi junction solar cell includes one or more upper cells and a thin-film, polycrystalline, low-bandgap bottom cell. A single-junction solar cell includes a polycrystalline semiconductor thin film, wherein a bandgap of the solar cell is greater than 1.2 eV or less than 1.2 eV, and the solar cell is configured to receive light through two surfaces, such that the bottom cell has bifacial operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University
    Inventor: Richard R. King
  • Patent number: 11961928
    Abstract: A photovoltaic module having a superstrate layer, an encapsulant having an upper layer and a lower layer, the upper layer being juxtaposed with a lower surface of the superstrate layer, and a photovoltaic layer intermediate the upper layer and the lower layer of the encapsulant. A first portion of the upper layer of the encapsulant includes a first light scattering value as measured in accordance with an ASTM E430 standard, and a second portion of the upper layer of the encapsulant has a second light scattering value as measured in accordance with the ASTM E430 standard. The second light scattering value is greater than the first light scattering value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: GAF Energy LLC
    Inventors: Richard Perkins, Alex Sharenko, Thierry Nguyen, Gabriela Bunea, Anna Wojtowicz
  • Patent number: 11961923
    Abstract: A solar cell is provided, including a front electrode, a functional layer, and a back electrode. The front electrode is an electrode on a side of an illuminated surface. The front electrode includes a high-conductivity region and a low-conductivity region that are adjacent to each other, or the back electrode includes a high-conductivity region and a low-conductivity region that are adjacent to each other. The front electrode and/or the back electrode may be designed to be separated by region, and conductivity of one conductive region is designed to be higher than conductivity of the other conductive region. According to the application, a film rectangular resistance loss caused by large-scale non-uniform lateral transfer of a photocurrent is avoided, thereby improving photoelectric conversion efficiency of the cell, and improving the cell comprehensive performance by flexibly selecting materials based on different requirements of different regions in different application scenarios.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuo Wang, Kai Xin, Yunfeng Liu
  • Patent number: 11955574
    Abstract: A multi-level photovoltaic cell comprises a substrate layer and a plurality of photovoltaic cells positioned above the substrate layer. Each photovoltaic cell has a top contact layer and a bottom contact layer connected in series such that the top contact layer of the first photovoltaic cell is connected to the bottom contact layer of a next photovoltaic cell until the last photovoltaic cell is connected. A different voltage is output between the substrate layer and the top contact layer of each photovoltaic cell. Another multi-level photovoltaic cell comprises a substrate layer and a plurality of photovoltaic cells stacked vertically above the substrate layer. Each photovoltaic cell comprises an active layer separated from the next photovoltaic cell by an etch stop layer until a last photovoltaic cell is reached. A different voltage is output between the substrate layer and the active layer of each photovoltaic cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ning Li, Devendra Sadana, Ghavam G. Shahidi, Chitra K. Subramanian
  • Patent number: 11955571
    Abstract: The photovoltaic cell includes a silicon substrate, a first passivation layer, a second passivation layer, at least one silicon oxynitride layer, and at least one silicon nitride layer. The second passivation layer includes a first silicon oxide layer and at least one aluminum oxide layer, a ratio of the number of oxide atoms to the number of aluminum atoms in the at least one aluminum oxide layer is greater than 0.8 and less than 1.6. The number of silicon atoms is greater than the number of oxygen atoms in the at least one silicon oxynitride layer and the number of oxygen atoms is greater than the number of nitrogen atoms in the at least one silicon oxynitride layer. A ratio of the number of silicon atoms to the number of nitrogen atoms in the at least one silicon nitride layer is greater than 1 and less than 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignees: ZHEJIANG JINKO SOLAR CO., LTD., JINKO SOLAR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ruifeng Li, Wenqi Li, Yankai Qiu, Ning Zhang, Bin Li
  • Patent number: 11955642
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an electrode includes a current collector and an active material-containing layer. The active material-containing layer includes an active material, a conductive agent, and cellulose fiber. The conductive agent includes carbon fiber. The active material-containing layer includes a first surface brought into contact with the current collector, and a second surface. 2000/mm2 or less of first agglomerates are present on the second surface. Each of the first agglomerates includes at least one of the carbon fiber or the cellulose fiber, and does not include the active material. Each of the first agglomerates has a longest diameter of 5 ?m or more and a shortest diameter of 1 ?m or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Mitsuru Ishibashi, Wen Zhang, Kazuomi Yoshima, Keigo Hoshina, Norio Takami
  • Patent number: 11937506
    Abstract: A thermoelectric element according to an embodiment comprises: a first substrate; a first electrode part disposed on the first substrate; a thermoelectric semiconductor disposed on the first electrode part; second electrode parts disposed on the thermoelectric semiconductor; and a second substrate disposed on the second electrode parts, wherein the second substrate comprises: a first surface; and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the second electrode parts are disposed on the first surface, a terminal electrode part formed by extending at least one of the second electrode parts is disposed on the second surface, and the second substrate is formed between the terminal electrode part and the second electrode parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Myoung Seok Sung, Tae Hee Kim
  • Patent number: 11929508
    Abstract: An electrode for a secondary battery includes a current collector, a first electrode mixture layer disposed on at least one surface of the current collector and including styrene butadiene rubber, and a second electrode mixture layer disposed on the first electrode mixture layer and including a second styrene butadiene rubber. The first styrene butadiene rubber and the second styrene butadiene rubber have a repeating unit of styrene derived structure and a repeating unit of a butadiene derived structure, the first styrene butadiene rubber containing 40 to 90 mol % of a butadiene monomer based on total content of a monomer, and the second styrene butadiene rubber having a lower content of a butadiene monomer than the content of the first styrene butadiene rubber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: SK On Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyo Mi Kim, Kwang Ho Jeong
  • Patent number: 11923468
    Abstract: A photovoltaic cell is provided, including a substrate having a front surface with metal and non-metal pattern regions, first and second pyramid structures in each metal pattern region, third and fourth pyramid structures in each non-metal pattern region, a first tunneling layer and a first doped conductive layer on a portion of the front surface in a respective metal pattern region, and a second tunneling layer and a second doped conductive layer on a rear surface of the substrate. A dimension of a bottom portion of each first pyramid structure is greater than that of each second pyramid structure. A dimension of a bottom portion of each third pyramid structure is greater than that of each fourth pyramid structure. An area proportion of the first pyramid structures in the metal pattern region is greater than that of the third pyramid structures in a respective non-metal pattern region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignees: ZHEJIANG JINKO SOLAR CO., LTD., JINKO SOLAR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jie Mao, Zhao Wang, Peiting Zheng, Jie Yang, Xinyu Zhang
  • Patent number: 11906364
    Abstract: A flexible infrared irradiation and temperature sensor is provided. The sensor includes a substantially cubic deformable rubber substrate and a conductive layer embedded in the rubber substrate, wherein the conductive layer comprises a middle portion comprising a composite film of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and nickel phthalocyanine (NiPc); and one or more exterior portions comprising carbon nanotubes, wherein the one or more exterior portions do not include NiPc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: KING ABDULAZIZ UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Muhammad Tariq Saeed Chani, Khasan S. Karimov, Abdullah M. Asiri, Tahseen Kamal
  • Patent number: 11908965
    Abstract: A solar or photovoltaic (PV) system that includes a PV device with an upper surface configured for receiving sunlight and converting the received sunlight into electrical energy. An infrared (IR) reflecting film is placed over the upper surface to increase the efficiency of the PV device by retaining its operating temperature in more desired ranges. The IR reflecting film includes a substrate with a top surface and a bottom surface, and the bottom surface is mated with the upper surface of the PV device. The IR reflecting film also includes a plurality of structures, each with a recessed surface, formed on the top surface of the substrate. The IR reflecting film includes a reflective mask on the top surface of the substrate that includes reflective elements each disposed in the structures' recessed surfaces. In use, the IR reflecting film reflects sunlight having a wavelength greater than about 950 nanometers (nm).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Lumenco, LLC
    Inventor: Mark A. Raymond
  • Patent number: 11901471
    Abstract: A solar cell includes: an n-type first amorphous silicon layer provided on a first main surface of a crystalline silicon substrate; an amorphous silicon oxide layer provided on a first main surface of the first amorphous silicon layer; and an n-type fine crystal silicon layer provided on a first main surface of the amorphous silicon oxide layer. An oxygen atom concentration in the first amorphous silicon layer, the amorphous silicon oxide layer, and the fine crystal silicon layer has a maximum value in the amorphous silicon oxide layer with a thickness direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: PANASONIC HOLDINGS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daiki Watanabe, Hirotaka Katayama
  • Patent number: 11901468
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor packaging capable of supplying power by itself by including, as a power supply part, photovoltaic particles having a core-shell structure, wherein the photovoltaic particles in a semiconductor package generate voltage and current required for semiconductors so that the semiconductor package can be easily driven only with the power generated by itself, it is possible to overcome the restrictions on miniaturization of semiconductor packages due to connection with external power sources, and the photovoltaic particles are located between a semiconductor chip and a substrate so that the semiconductor package is easy to miniaturize.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: SOFTPV INC.
    Inventors: Sunggue Lee, Hyeonwoo Ahn
  • Patent number: 11901470
    Abstract: Wire-based metallization and stringing techniques for solar cells, and the resulting solar cells, modules, and equipment, are described. In an example, a string of solar cells includes a plurality of back-contact solar cells, wherein each of the plurality of back-contact solar cells includes P-type and N-type doped diffusion regions. A plurality of conductive wires is disposed over a back surface of each of the plurality of solar cells, wherein each of the plurality of conductive wires is substantially parallel to the P-type and N-type doped diffusion regions of each of the plurality of solar cells. One or more of the plurality of conductive wires adjoins a pair of adjacent solar cells of the plurality of solar cells and has a relief feature between the pair of adjacent solar cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Maxeon Solar Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Richard Hamilton Sewell, Matthieu Minault Reich, Andrea R. Bowring, Arbaz Shakir, Ryan Reagan, Matthew Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 11901475
    Abstract: The present invention is a method for manufacturing a substrate for a solar cell composed of a single crystal silicon, including the steps of: producing a silicon single crystal ingot; slicing a silicon substrate from the silicon single crystal ingot; and subjecting the silicon substrate to low temperature thermal treatment at a temperature of 800° C. or more and less than 1200° C., wherein the silicon single crystal ingot or the silicon substrate is subjected to high temperature thermal treatment at a temperature of 1200° C. or more for 30 seconds or more before the low temperature thermal treatment. As a result, it is possible to provide a method for manufacturing a substrate for a solar cell that can prevent decrease in the minority carrier lifetime of the substrate even when the substrate has higher oxygen concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Otsuka, Shozo Shirai